Welcome to the UD Family Coach Donnie Jones!
 

Jeff Goodman
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21m21 minutes ago
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Wichita State assistant Donnie Jones will join Anthony Grant’s staff at Dayton, per source. Pair worked together on Billy Donovan’s staff for 10 years.

Sensational hire this late in the game

Also, if you followed the original assistant coach search... The UD administration, etc, turned down the hiring of him about a year ago... I'm glad they changed their minds!

Give him a follow @DonnieJones

I am glad also. IIRC, he was Anthony's first choice last Spring. Welcome to Dayton, Donnie Jones.

Wow. Pardon the pun but this is a shocker.
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I guess the sky is not falling after all!

A good connection to the Midwest and West, and a guy who is used to recruiting UD type players plus.

Indeed. Donnie Jones discussion the first go round. You can start reading on page 2 linked here about 8 posts down if interested. http://udpride.com/forums/showthread...t=30814&page=2

This hire tells me that AG has earned the trust of the UD administration after they understandably pumped the brakes on his hiring the first time.

For what it’s worth, I think it’s a good hire. You’re replacing a guy with a rep as a stud recruiter with a guy who has a rep of being a stud recruiter. In theory, Dayton can make out pretty good here with Donnie Jones building off the work that Kane has done. Yet another guy with deep Florida connections (on staff at UCF with Ricardo Greer) so at some point you gotta think we’re gonna start pulling guys north outta Florida. But the year he put in at Wichita State could pay huge dividends, and that's what I'm most excited about in the near term. Gregg Marshall and their staff cast a pretty wide net in terms of recruiting and they are getting upper echelon talent so it’s significant to potentially be able to tap into that. Assuming the news is correct, it shouldn’t be long before we hear some new names and offers that are pretty clearly coming from Donnie.

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Shockers perspective:

https://shockernet.net/forum/wichita...-jones-leaving

You bloggers tell me if my understanding is correct. When you hire a recruiting assustant coach; aren’t you hiring the guy who already has a couple recruits in his fold already? In other words, in the selection process, you evaluate the quality of their connections to recruits as much as anything else?

My analogy, if you are hiring a salesman, you look at what customers he/she can bring along with them as much as anything else.

My analogy, if you are a real estate BROKER, wishing to bring into your team, a new real estate AGENT, don’t you expect that this person is bringing with them, at least, one sale already “in the bag”?

Even my doctor did this, when my doctor told me he was moving to a different clinic; he solicited me. He wished to see, if i wished to follow him to the new clinic.
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Looking at who Jones recruited at UCF, it was almost exclusively Florida guys. And that makes sense, being such a talent-rich state. But Wichita State recruits everywhere. Here's their 2018 class:

Morris Udeze: 3 star center from Richmond, TX who prepped in Monteverde, FL
Eric Stevenson: 3 star SG from Lacey, WA
Chance Moore: 3 star SG from Louisville, KY
Isaiah Chandler: 3 star center from Wichita, KS
Jamie Echenique: 3 star JUCO center who hails from Colombia but went to juco in Athens, TX
Dexter Dennis: unranked SG from Baker, LA who prepped in Athens, TN
Jamarius Burton: 3 star combo or PG from Charlotte, NC
Rodgerick Brown: 3 star SG from Cordova, TN (redshirted 17-18 season)

So I don't know how much time Donnie Jones had to invest in 2019, 2020, and 2021 kids after Wichita State was recruiting Texas, Florida, Washington, Kentucky, Kansas, Louisiana, Tennessee and North Carolina for that massive 2018-19 haul but no doubt Gregg Marshall has had Donnie working hard. That's for sure.

That may be a consideration, but I doubt it is the most important consideration. Track record and relationship to existing staff is probably more important.

If I'm Wichita State, your condition of release would exclude active recruiting of all currently recruited players to WSU. But even that could be circumvented.

Yeah, I don't see that as being a primary consideration. The fact that he and AG worked together for 10 years is the deciding factor.

As they say penny wise and pound foolish, if you follow that philosophy. Having spent a bunch of my career recruiting, you always hire based on talent and long term potential, not what the guy can do for you in the next few months. If Jones has some recruits, awesome, but that is secondary.

Is he a hard worker, does he present himself and the program well, does he have good connections, does he uncover the hidden gems, does he get along well with others, can he relate to teenagers, does he have a no fish is too big attitude? That is what I would look for, and probably Grant did.

I don't think they can really do that. Several guys Donnie Jones was recruiting or at least following on twitter are guys Dayton has been monitoring / recruiting as well: Josh Pierre-Louis, Trae Broadnax, Tyrell Jones, CJ Walker and Kai Jones being a few examples.

Of course, they can block anyone from transferring out to Dayton or anyone they might release who signed an LOI from looking at Dayton.

Three centers in that haul. Is that even legal??? Perhaps UD could trade one guard-forward plus a player to be named later for one of their centers.

What is Wichita State thinking don't they know the future is in small ball. Perhaps this is the reason we see Donnie Jones coming to work for UD.

https://www.kansas.com/sports/colleg...214557970.html

Jones was valuable on WSU's staff for his head coach experience (he was a former lead man at Marshall and Central Florida), his ultra positivity and his recruiting ties in the South.
The timing comes three days before the first live recruiting period in July, a period during which the Shockers will try to finalize their 2019 recruiting class (one scholarship left) and start to build their 2020 recruiting class (two scholarships left).

https://www.daytondailynews.com/spor...wEZDzAHAszh9J/

Here are the "highlights" of one of those centers. #21 in white. Which of our players are you willing to trade for this guy?

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/8664994...d8b82130f78a1c

Donnie Jones and Anthony Solomon, two former head coaches (that experience is great) with great recruiting chops. Yes please.

Assistants under AG a couple levels above assistants under AM.

Donnie is from Point Pleasnt, WV. Isn't that where the mothman was?

I'm sure he's happy to be closer to home! It's great to have so many coaches who have worked together before. This is a critical stretch for 2019 recruiting with what appears to be three openings. Time to lock down Kai!

Would be great if Donnie could get Kai and/or Mothman. Both have excellent wingspan.
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Great hire, he can keep the traction going in the South.

Mothman only "suited up" for special occasions, so it is possible he may have some eligibility left...) You can better believe, he will hit those boards for you.

Is this the most experienced staff in Dayton history?

Good question. I can’t think of another staff with three coaches that had head coaching experience.

Not only that but Mothman is menacing and if you go against him you know you're going to have disastrous game...

Kai i am familiar with. But did i ever miss Mothman?

Can someone bring me up to speed on Mothman.

TIA

ahhhh. a joke character?

nvm :)

Wonder why admin rejected a year ago ... too much money? Any reservations about his past? Seems like a solid hire and upgrade, as long as there's not too many "cooks in the kitchen" with two former HC's. Glad AG got his man.

Enjoy Ames, Mr. Kane -- makes Dayton seem like Vegas.

Just a little issue with one of his assistants at UCF investigated for working with an agent to steer players to their program...that's all. The assistant was fired and Jones received a 3 game suspension.

After the upcoming season at least 2 will be transferring out due to lack of minutes so we can pick up one then

WE should also give them a home-home series as compensation for taking an assistant . . .

Okay, so Donnie Jones is from Point Pleasant, WV. And someone pointed out that that's also the place of the infamous Mothman citings. Mothman, much like the true center, is closer to myth than reality. But since there haven't been any true center sightings in Dayton lately, I'm not sure which is harder to find. But anyway, here's Mothman's wikipedia entry:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothman

Jones got a 3 game suspension from UCF, and a 3 year show cause penalty was levied by the NCAA.

So is it all agreed .... in preseason 2018/2019 ... knowing we have 3 previous head coaches on the floor ... we won't hear people complain in the future ... about UD being "out coached"?

Yes it is possible that AG and assistants may/will be out coached in 1 or 2 games in 2018/2019 ... but I hope the running theme, from last year, is dropped about AG's coaching ability.

There will always be games when one coach or another is "out-coached." Anthony Grant's problem last year was he did not have the horses to compete. Some games it may have appeared that his coaching was suspect, but that is really disguising the fact that he had marginally talented players across several positions, two freshmen starters, and very little bench strength. Any coach could look bad under those circumstances.

It's official

http://daytonflyers.com/news/2018/7/...mbb-staff.aspx

That is an incredible resume for an assistant coach. I really like his connections with other geographic areas. Another sign that Anthony Grant is building something very special.

Yes, but how on earth can you do a write up on the qualifications of Donnie Jones without addressing the elephant in the room. Has he or has he not ever encountered Mothman?! Somebody needs to ask him this and soon.

Dilly dilly! :D
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omg yes!! Post of the thread, right here y'all!...) and if he DID encounter Mothman, did he find out if he had any eligibility left! outstanding post right there.....)

A Character perhaps but he is no Joke. You do not want to meet him under the basket after you just passed the other four defenders during your dribble drive.

Jablonski tweets
Archdeacon is writing a Donnie Jones story for Sunday. As @marcushartman pointed out to me, Jones' hometown is also the home of the Mothman, though there was some debate as to whether the Mothman still lives there. Will Arch work a Mothman reference into his story?

More David Jablonski Retweeted David Jablonski
I read Arch's description of this story, so I can answer, Yes, the Mothman will definitely be mentioned in his Sunday piece on Donnie Jones.David Jablonski added,

yes!! Great news right there.....

you know, some how, some way, I just think as long as Donnie Jones is a member of the UD coaching staff Mothman should be making some regular appearances at UD Arena for our home games as a regular character...

that would be awesome stuff, right there... rooting for the Flyers, and staring at the opponents with glowing red eyes... and fists clinched lol.....) have a ""grrrowl"" come over the speakers

What if Archdeacon blows Donnie’s cover and the world finds out that he actually is the Mothman? Knowing the NCAA it probably violates some weird NCAA bylaw. Like you’re not allowed to employ an angel of death who foretells mass human tragedy.
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lol!......)

Talk to The Red Scare. I’m sure at least 1 student will lose a barroom bet and have to wear a Mothman costume to the home games.
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Jeff Goodman
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1h1 hour ago
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Two more names for Stetson, per source: Dayton assistant and former UCF head coach Donnie Jones and Bethune Cookman head coach Ryan Ridder.